Clams/ Mussels Masala (Tisrya Masala)- an authentic recipe from Goa

Coastal food, needless to say, has a tremendous variety of sea food and the Indian coastline is massive- so you can imagine the variety of seafood that you can get there.

Goan cuisine is particularly rich in seafood. This delicious mussels recipe is an authentic Saraswat recipe and I bet its taste will linger a long time in your memory.

Ingredients

• Clams/ Mussels- 1 cup ( cleaned with shells on- or just the meat)
• Cinnamon- 1/2 inch
• Coriander seeds- 1 tsp
• Star anise- 1
• Black peppercorns- 3-4
• Cloves- 2
• Onions-1, finely chopped
• Fresh coconut, grated- 1/2 cup
• Red chilli powder- 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
• Garam masala powder- 1/2 tsp
• Tamamrind pulp- 1/2 tsp
• Salt- to taste
• Oil- 2 tbsp, ideally coconut oil

Method

In this recipe, I’ve used mussels without the shell, however, you could use either Mussels or Clams with the shell. What you need to do is boil the mussels/ clams with the shell in a pan full of water and add a pinch of salt.

When they are cooked, the shells turn sort of pinkish – they change colour. Let cool, and separate the sheel, leaving the mussel/ clam meat stuck in one and discard the other shell. Adding the shell in this manner enhances the taste of the curry and is th etraditional way to cook Clams. You can add some of the water in which it has been cooked, to the curry to enhance the taste.

You might also like:

Mussel Fritters / Tisryanche Vade        Mussels with Garlic and Coconut